1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns the handling of incapacitated persons, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for lifting and moving an injured or invalid person without the aid of heavy duty equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Equipment for lifting patients from a seated position such as a wheelchair to a standing position is well known for use in hospitals. Embodiments of such equipment are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,356,858 and 5,878,450. Related apparatus for lifting, supporting and transporting a patient is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,534 and elsewhere. The aforesaid equipment, however, is large, cumbersome and expensive, and is intended primarily for use in hospitals and other health care facilities.
It is often necessary to rescue and remove from harm's way individuals involved in accidents, fire, natural disasters or health emergencies. Such persons are usually incapacitated, exhausted or otherwise incapable of assisting in their rescue. Therefore, rescue personnel require means for rapidly securing a victim and facilitating his or her movement to a safer location or a health care facility. The lifting or manipulation of the victim can, however, be a formidable task for the caregiver.
Harness and vest devices such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,778 and elsewhere have been proposed for the handling of incapacitated persons. Such devices are generally comprised of belts and straps of adjustable length which fit onto the person, and provide hand grips for lifting. Because of their light weight and minimal storage volume, the lifting vests are well suited as equipment for ambulances and other rescue vehicles. However, improvement is still desirable with respect to speed of deployment and minimizing the exertion level and ergonomic stress imposed upon the caregiver.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an easily storable apparatus which can be quickly applied by a caregiver onto a victim to facilitate lifting.
It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus of the aforesaid nature which enables a caregiver to more easily lift a victim.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a victim lifting method employing the aforesaid apparatus which eases the exertion level and ergonomic stress imposed upon the caregiver.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.